KOSTEK, Russia — When a 16-year-old girl married a militant Islamist separatist entangled in a long-running and bloody struggle against Russian government forces, her relatives in this dusty North Caucasus village say they disowned her immediately.

They knew they could face torture from Russian security forces or even death for associating with the militants, and they knew their Dzhanet Abdurakhmanova, still just a schoolgirl, could easily be killed.

But they never expected her to be dispatched to Moscow as a suicide bomber to blow herself up on a subway train.

Abdurakhmanova, whose husband was killed by government forces in December, and another young widow have been accused of carrying out suicide bombings Monday that killed 40 people and injured 90, the first suicide attacks in the capital since 2004.

Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they were retaliation for the deaths of four garlic-picking villagers slain Feb. 11.

In Kostek, a poor rural village in the province of Dagestan where Abdurakhmanova grew up, a piercing silence hangs in the air.

Men stare transfixed at newcomers, then turn away whispering. The village feels dangerous even for those who live in the provincial capital, about 60 miles away.

Abdurakhmanova’s suicide attack has brought unwanted attention.

“We turned our back on her when she married that one about two years ago,” said a 20-year-old man, Abdurakhmanova’s cousin, who refused to give his name for fear of reprisals.

“We didn’t have anything to do with Dzhanet, and we never wanted to” after her marriage, he said before disappearing into their grandmother’s single-story brick home, one of the nicest in the village.

The militants, who once fought for Chechnya’s independence, are now seeking to create an Islamic state across the North Caucasus. In Dagestan, they carry out attacks almost daily.

On Saturday, three militants opened fire on police in a drive-by shooting, killing one and injuring another. Two other suicide bombers struck Wednesday near Dagestan’s border with Chechnya, killing 12 people. Another explosion there Thursday killed two suspected militants.

President Dmitry Medvedev urged even harsher measures Friday to crack down on terrorism, including targeting people who help the militants by feeding them or doing simple chores, such as washing their clothes.

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